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The Daily Vet is a blog featuring veterinarians from all walks of life. Every week they will tackle entertaining, interesting, and sometimes difficult topics in the world of animal medicine – all in the hopes that their unique insights and personal experiences will help you to understand your pets.

New and emerging pet toxicities are a topic I always find intriguing in the realm of veterinary medicine. After all, I’ve treated my fair share of unusual toxic exposures while working in emergency veterinary hospitals and also in my own Los Angeles-based holistic house call practice. I have treated poisonings from dietary supplements, marijuana and other recreational drugs (see the YouTube video Canine Cannabis Toxicity), dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts, Xylitol-based gum and candy, snail bait, etc.

Evidently, dog owner Keith Sutton dropped a nicotine capsule from his pocket, which was quickly picked up by Ivy, his 14-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier. The curious puppy didn't even consume the entire capsule, as Sutton reports Ivy “had chewed it and pierced the plastic container. She had only ingested the tiniest amount, but by the time I picked her up she was frothing at the mouth.”

Within ten minutes Sutton had Ivy receiving treatment on an emergency basis by a veterinarian, but the toxic effects of nicotine had taken their toll and Ivy didn't survive.

Electronic cigarettes have grown in popularity over the past few years. Instead of smoking a flame-lit cigarette, smokers use electronic cigarettes to deliver a nicotine infused blast of vapor. This means of drug (and nicotine is a very addictive one) delivery has led to the term "vaping" being applied to the process of smoking an electronic cigarette.

Although lingering plumes of toxin-filled smoke are not produced from electronic cigarettes, there are still concerns that the vapor exhaled during vaping contains enough harmful substances to negatively affect the health of people and pets in close proximity to the “vaper.” Fortunately, major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York have extended their smoking bans to jnclude electronic cigarettes in bars, farmers' markets, parks, and restaurants.

Even more dangerous than the vapor are the capsules or cartridges contained within electronic cigarettes. According to the USA Today article, E-cigarettes: No smoke, but fiery debate over safety, the cartridges contain a combination of “nicotine, water, glycerol, propylene glycol (used in inhalers), and flavorings.”

According to Wikipedia, Nicotine is “a potent parasympathomimetic alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants (Solanaceae) and a stimulant drug. It is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. It is made in the roots and accumulates in the leaves of the plants.”

The Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) reports that nicotine is capable of causing a variety of moderate to severe toxic effects, depending on the dose consumed, which manifest in the following clinical signs:

Vomiting

Abnormal heart rate

Incoordination

Tremors

Weakness

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Besides electronic cigarettes, owners have to be careful with other products laced with the stimulant, such as nicotine gum and lozenges, raw tobacco (that which is chewed or inserted into a pipe or rolled in paper), and conventional cigarettes.

According to PPH:

Nicotine is a rapid acting toxin and, often, pets will show signs of poisoning within 1 hour of ingestion. Some types of nicotine gums also contain xylitol, a sweetener which is toxic to dogs. The acid in the stomach slows the absorption of nicotine so the administration of antacids (e.g., H2 blockers) is not recommended. Pets ingesting small amounts of nicotine often vomit spontaneously and may self-decontaminate. However, even when vomiting occurs, veterinary evaluation after ingestion is typically recommended so that the heart rate, blood pressure, and neurological status can be monitored. Treatments including additional decontamination, IV fluids and medications to slow the heart rate, decrease the blood pressure or stop tremors may be needed.

Although we pet owners strive to take the best care of of our canine and feline companions, we sometimes unintentionally or inadvertently engage in activities that put their health and safety at risk. Therefore, it's best to ensure that substances that are potentially toxic to our pets (including plants, cleaning products, cigarette smoke, etc.) are not brought into the home. Additionally, access to the outdoors should be restricted and known toxins (nitrogen-rich fertilizers, coffee-bean based mulches, insecticides, herbicides, etc.) should be eliminated from our yards.

If you are an electronic cigarette “vaper," please keep all items out of your pet’s reach and only exhale your vapor in a well-ventilated, outdoor area away from pets (and children). Additionally, change the electronic cigarette cartridge in a location where your pet cannot inadvertently consume the cartridge/capsule should it fall to the ground.

Science is now suspecting third hand smoke of causing disease, as well as second hand smoke. This means that not only the filters are full of the toxins we need to avoid, but also the furniture, clothing, paint on walls, and any other surface that has been around smoke is also an issue. Definitely, to answer your question, TheOldBroad, filters have a large level of toxins in them and would be an issue for pets.

That's a great point about thirdhand smoke and its effects on the people and pets that come into contact with it in our shared environment.
Such is why I always strive that owners smoke outside and far away from the pets and do their best to not have contact between their exhalations and their clothes.
Thank you for your comments.
Dr. PM

Like another poster, I quit smoking - after 13 years - that was over 38 years ago and I'm so glad I quit. My father's dog ate cigarette butts once and died. Hearing about cartridges for those e-cigarettes is alarming as I've seen how dangerous nicotine is to pets - and people. My tenant smokes outside in her car mostly, but the smell from her clothes permeates upstairs. This concerns me about my health and that of my dog. Is it possible to suffer third-hand smoke from this situation?

Thank you for your comments and for bringing up a great question. ;-)
I'm not certain if the cotton making up or paper surrounding a cigarette filter is directly toxic itself, but I suspect that when the filter has soaked up some of the toxins from the burning cigarette that it will subsequently become toxic for pets or people if it is consumed.
Dr. PM

Hi Dr. Mahaney. I smoked for about 10 years and understand what a struggle it is to take hold of your will power and just not light up the next cigarette. It does show how strong or weak an individual is. Those who are strong willed enough will stop, and e-cigarettes are only one more form of procrastination, no matter what excuse the smoker is giving society.

I HAVEN'T smoked for over 30 years, now, and can't imagine why I was ever willing to smell and taste like an ashtray.

Congratulations for quitting smoking so many years ago.
I certainly hope that if people are striving to reduce their reliance on smoking they don't instead stay on electronic cigarettes for the long term.
I am sure that we will see many more reports of toxicity and pets as a result of contact/consumption with vaping cartridges over the next few years.
Thank you for your comments.
Dr. PM

In light of the recent popularity of the e-cigarette I have found this article extremely relevant. I was unaware of the health risk the e-cigarette posed to our fluffy friends but was relieved at an alternative to the cigarette.

In my personal opinion e-cigarettes means less cigarette butts discarded on side-walks, grass patches and sandy beaches where a dogs nose can easily ingest it, along with the toxin, nicotine, still contained in it.

Smoking cigarettes is a health hazard, not only to the smoker but to those around them as second hand and third hand smoke are just as toxic. Smoking indoors causes the toxic particles to settle not only in the air but on furniture, carpets and your pets fur. When your pet grooms itself they are indirectly ingesting these toxins, which accumulates.

E-cigarettes mostly contain liquid nicotine but are available without nicotine. It is this liquid nicotine which is lethal in small doses. E-cigarettes do pose advantages over the traditional cigarette as they do not burn tobacco, there is no smoke or odour.

At the end of the day, people choose to intoxicate themselves and need to take responsibility. I do think that safety precautions need to be taken when using the e-cigarette and there is a dire need for strict regulations and warnings to make people more aware as to prevent any illness to children and pets .